Rainbow Bears' Square Dance - is finished!

 

Here it is then: quilted and bound.

My Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt from 2016. The top has been finished for about a year, but now it's finally finished.

The quilting is quite simple: FMQ motif echoing within the "paws" and zig-zags in the block sashing, with gentle curves with the walking foot in the background space. I don't know why it took me so long to decide on that!

I like the whole top, but I think the back is the tops:

I just love the back! It makes me feel so happy!

Now just one more photo, over the railing:

Quilt statistics:
Size: 58" square
Fabric top: assorted scraps from stash
Backing: assorted solids, but mainly Bella
Pieced and quilted with Aurifil 40wt.: background with dark grey (2630), front with assorted colours to match the fabric, more or less.

This is my second finish for
the 2018 finish along Q1 which I posted about here.

this is my first finish for April's One Monthly goal, which I posted about here

 Click on the buttons to visit the link ups.

Happy Sewing

Marly.

April's One Monthly Goal

I'm going to link up my quilting goals for March at Patty's "One Monthly Goal" at Elm Street Quilts.

Firstly, for the third month in succession, is this:

Rainbow Bears' Square Dance (my RSC project 2016)

It could be my only goal; will I get it finished in April? Hopefully! It's about time! So, just in case I do, I've added a few more goals!

Secondly, to make a theme block for the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild April Challenge. The name says it all doesn't it? It has to be finished this month! No pictures yet (no stitches either!) but the theme could be patriotic - or not!

Thirdly, To get started on my centre block for the Round Robin Challenge at the District West Bee of the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild. It's not due until the middle of May, but I've never taken part in a Round Robin before and don't know what sort of hidden pitfalls lie ahead, so I need to give myself plenty of time.

Fourthly, if I still have time over, to finish piecing the backing of:

En Provence (Quiltville mystery 2016-2017)

Some of the orphan blocks and parts to go into the backing.

I had quite a few parts that weren't needed in my final layout which was smaller than Bonnie Hunter's. The same happens every year - I have to frantically make extras of some units; and have too many of others! That's part of the mystery!

Now to link up to

 

Click on the button to see the handicraft plans of others.

Happy sewing

Marly.

March's OMGoal almost finished!

At the beginning of March I set trying to finish this quilt as my goal:

(and, incidentally at the beginning of February too!) Unfortunately it's still not quite finished. I don't know what happened to March, except that it quick marched all the way and April starts in seven and a half hours!

The picture below doesn't look very different, but appearances can be deceptive.

Rainbow Bears' Square Dance at the end of March.

The difference is in the detail:

All the rainbow blocks are now quilted, the label is attached (nearly forgot it!). The extra wadding and backing could now be removed and the quilt bound but I can't find the last piece of dark grey fabric to make the binding! If I find it, I'll try to finish it tomorrow evening, and otherwise it will have to wait until later in the week as the LQS is closed until Wednesday.

Guess what's going to be first on my list for April!

I'm linking to 

 

Click on the button to visit more finished projects, really finished, that is! 

Happy sewing

Marly.

One Monthly Goal for March

My goal for March is the same as my goal for February! To finish this quilt:

Rainbow Bears' Square Dance

 In February I only managed to buy fabric for the back, piece the back, layer the whole thing and quilt the wide "sashings"  between the blocks. It seems like next to nothing, but it took me all month. OK, I got sidetracked by the "Year of Scrappy Triangles", had the 'flu' for a week, did a bit of paid work, and made a couple of RSC18 sampler blocks. I managed to avoid housework pretty effectively.

For March there's relatively little left to do: quilt the blocks, starting with this one:

Then quilt the label, make a binding and bind the quilt. Put that way it'll be done in half a day!  Not really! Binding by hand will keep me occupied for at least two evenings. Not to forget burying the threads ...

If I get this finished I'll resurrect En Provence :

Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, winter 2016-2017

which has been boxed for nearly a year. The backing is partly pieced; I'm not sure how much, but I shall be very happy if this is layered by the end of March.

I'm linking up to Elm Street Quilts



Click on the button to visit the party.

Happy sewing

Marly

February's monthly goal ...

... for One Monthly Goal was to at least start quilting the rainbow bears square dance.

Well I've started.

Using the walking foot I've nearly finished quilting wobbly lines in the negative space / wide sashings. Originally I was going to do straight lines, but there was a practical problem as the sashings are different widths, and I couldn't work out how to manage the transition from wide to narrower. This way the lines just wobble closer together. All this wobbling: the bears not only stepped in the paint pots, they partook of a wee dram too many as well!

This will carry over to my goal for March as I still have to quilt the bears' paws. That will be FMQ; probably also wobbly lines, although not deliberately!

I'm linking up to

 

Click on the button to see what other crafters have achieved this month.

Happy sewing

Marly.

2018 FAL Q1 list

Once again the Finish-A-Long is open and sewers, knitters and crocheters have been invited to submit their lists of ongoing projects they hope to get finished in this first quarter of 2018.

I don't have any ongoing projects that will be finished within the next three months, but I do have a number of completed quilt tops. If I can finish one a month that will be good going, so here is my list of three tops plus a small item I haven't yet started sewing:

1. En Provence, Quiltville mystery 2016-17
2. Bears' Rainbow Square Dance, RSC 2016
3. The Sky at Night, RSC 2015, which is complete, there are no longer two missing blocks.
4. Blue/aqua scrappy basket from a pattern by Fiona at BubzRugz     

1.  En Provence, Quiltville mystery 2016-17

2. Bears' Rainbow Square Dance, RSC 2016

3. The Sky at Night, RSC 2015

4. Scrappy baskets: waiting for blue

It is really shameful that these have been lying around for up to two years. I hope I can get this lot out of the boxes and onto beds and laps and in use!

I'm linking to Leanne at "She Can Quilt" where there are already more than 90 participants with a finish list.

Happy Sewing

Marly.